Nothing against the Alamo Bowl, but the No. 18 Longhorns were in position to make a third straight Bowl Championship Series appearance before upset losses to Kansas State and Texas A&M to end the regular season.

The consequences for the late-season tumble: A matchup today against 6-6 Iowa in the Alamodome that might as well be renamed the Redemption Bowl.

If Iowa running back Albert Young would have been told the Hawkeyes were playing Texas in a bowl game, "it would have meant that we were probably in a BCS game somewhere."

Texas and Iowa had disappointing finishes to seasons that began with promise and high expectations. With nothing at stake, both teams say a strong performance can be used as a springboard for 2007.

"When you've had an ending like we've had, you really want to come out and win your last game and carry it over to next year," McCoy said.

In a strange spot

In mid-November, the Longhorns were No. 4 in the rankings, still in the national title picture and in the driver's seat to play for the Big 12 championship. That was before a 45-42 loss at Kansas State, followed two weeks later by a 12-7 loss to the Aggies in Austin to give UT back-to-back losses for the first time since 1999.

Will the Longhorns be motivated playing in the Alamo Bowl after two straight Rose Bowl trips?

"This year has been a learning experience," center Lyle Sendlein said. "Being (at Texas) we're going to get everybody's best shot. It's been a bigger target on our back this year after the championship."

Coach Mack Brown said the Longhorns are as healthy as they've been in weeks, particularly McCoy, who missed time in the final two games with a severely pinched nerve in his neck. Texas also has made adjustments in its stagnant running game, and defensive coordinator Duane Akina will handle the play-calling duties for the first time with Gene Chizik leaving to take the head coaching job at Iowa State.

There are a couple of motivational factors for the Longhorns. A victory would give Texas at least 10 wins for the sixth straight season. The Horns also want to reward fans for sticking with them and making the game the fastest sellout in its 14-year history with more than 65,000 expected to attend.

"It's going to be just like another home game," McCoy said.

A victory over the Longhorns would help salvage the season for the Hawkeyes, who lost five of their last six games.

Iowa began the season 4-0 and climbed as high as No. 13 in the rankings.

"We got what we deserved," quarterback Drew Tate said. "We didn't play the way we were supposed to play to win."

Three of Iowa's losses were to the highly ranked Big Ten trio of Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes had a chance to win late in the games with Michigan and Wisconsin.

Turnovers have been a major reason for Iowa's struggles. The Hawkeyes are minus-8 in turnover margin, among the worst in Division I-A.

"We've definitely been the underdogs before," Young said. "When we play to our full potential and bring our 'A' game, we can definitely compete against the best teams in the country."

'A huge game'

Iowa coach
Kirk Ferentz
put his team through two-a-day workouts for a week during bowl preparations. He also reminded his team about how things can unravel quickly against the Longhorns, using Texas' 70-3 embarrassment of Colorado in last season's Big 12 title game as Exhibit A.